The Attendant of Zero
by formerly just a watcher
Summary: So, what has our pink-haired Tsundere Void Mage-in-training managed to summon this time? An elevator attendant, whatever the Founder that's supposed to mean. Sounds harmless enough. What could go wrong? "Hahahahaha... Halkeginia's screwed, isn't it?" "...Do you want an honest answer, or one that will help you sleep tonight?" Brimir's Balls, her own sister said that...!
1. The Fool's Journey begins with a Zero!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Persona**_** series, or the **_**Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima **_**series, aside from owning personal copies of Personas 3, 4, and Arena. I also do not own **_**Umineko no Naku koro ni**_**, **_**Nobody Dies**_**, or anything else I forgot to mention.**

**Author's Note: **(Sighs). Well, it looks like the Plot Bunny has struck me once again. Jumping on the X-is-Louise's-Familiar!Bandwagon is cliché as all hell by now, I know, but the idea suddenly came to me, I looked up the crossovers section and saw that no one else had tried it with Elizabeth yet, and it just wouldn't leave me alone. Sorry to the small portion of the audience that's waiting on Chapter 4 of _Catbox_. Just to let you know, though - it's probably gonna be pretty long, and I'm cramming in a lot of stuff, so hold your horses, if you haven't already. There's a good reason I've never set up an updating schedule for any of my fanfics, after all. Anyhoo, before we really start this shebang, give me good reviews, constructive criticism, yadda yadda... ONWARD!

* * *

_?, Elizabeth_

"Veeelvet, Oh Veeelvet~..." Oh! Didn't hear you come in. Sorry, I was busy in my own reverie, celebrating because... my, what manners I seem to lack. In my cheer I completely forgot to introduce myself! I am Elizabeth, and I have been utterly shirking my duties! Neglecting? Abandoning? Something along those lines; I know I've been saying _something_ like that a lot. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes: "My Maaaster has a Laaarge Nose~..."

Once more, I am floating in the sea of humanity's collective consciousness. Turning around, I see the reason I have come here, once again - a large, golden door, sealed with the statue of that boy, and perpetually still in the ether. For the sake of that boy, and to see his soft smile once more, I will journey for as long as it takes. I've been celebrating, you see, because I've finally taken that all-important first step! I take out my newly-discovered Arcana, and observe it once more. This slim Tarot card in my hand is The Fool. Foolish though I may be, this journey I have undertaken is one of many possibilities. Possibilities almost as numerous as the lights within this sea of the soul... Actually, speaking of lights, isn't that one shining rather brightly?

My attention is drawn to one of the lights I can see from the corner of my right eye. Its light seems to call for me specifically, threatening to blind all else who would gaze upon it. Hmm... something tells me I will be in for quite a bizarre adventure, if I answer this "call". Then again, I didn't have any place in particular planned; I have to start _somewhere_, after all. Okay, why not? I draw a magic circle, step through it, and arrive right where the light guides me. Easy-wheezy. Measly? Persimmons? Something along those lines.

In my new location, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Was the brightness of this person's heart nothing but a false lead in my ongoing quest? I turn to the direction of the light of the soul nearby. "No, it still seems to be shining just as brightly... in fact, it almost seems like the light is growing brighter by the second. Well, it seems like I'll have to wait patiently. Even if nothing truly called out to me and me alone, something is bound to happen around here!" I hammer the open palm of my right hand with the fist of my left, nodding my head for emphasis. I have no idea what to call this gesture, but from what I could tell through my short observations, it seems to indicate a contest of the wills, with one of the hands aggressively triumphing over the other, and a determination from the other side to not fail; in a sense, it's the perfect gesture to use in a situation like this! I nod my head once more, this time for my own self-satisfaction, as opposed to a motion of added emphasis. Once my gesturing is finished, I lean back and float in a comfortable seated position, opening up His Compendium, taking out the deck of cards and proceeding to shuffle them. The beauty of these Arcana, and the potential each and every one of them possess, is comforting enough that even the act of shuffling them relaxes me immensely. In the middle of my new reverie, there comes to mind a certain melody known and loved by all who have ever resided in or even visited the Velvet Room...

Suddenly, the "space" which made up the space directly in front of me shifts outward, making ripples within the "sea" that immediately draw my attention away from the deck. I put the pile of cards back into the Compendium as quickly as possible, not averting my eyes from that spot at any time. A soft green glow is now reflected in my eyes, as I stare at an emerald-hued portal not unlike the magic circle I had just drawn a short time ago. Of course, this passage is more ovaloid in shape, and is just large enough to accommodate myself and the objects currently on my person, but I feel a power very similar to that of my own, on the other side. Could the caster of this spell be another bearer of The Fool? Interesting... My examinations are put on hold, as I hear a female voice come out of the portal.

"I beg of you... My slave who lives somewhere in the universe!"

A slave? That will not do, methinks. Why, such a provocative statement could give someone more than enough righteous fury to completely refuse whatever offer this person's trying to make! However, I decide to hold my tongue until after this girl finishes her chant.

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance!"

I open my mouth and prepare to speak, only to get interrupted. This girl still wasn't finished with her chant?

"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere! Pentagon of the five elemental powers, heed my summoning, and bring forth my familiar!" I wait for a few seconds, in order to ensure I do not get interrupted once more, and prepare myself to speak with this Louise girl...

* * *

_Tristain Academy of Magic, Louise_

The diminutive pinkette, although having a very bad feeling about today, still tried to keep her hopes up. The Springtime Summoning Ritual was vitally important, after all, and was perhaps the very last chance she would get to prove that she wasn't a Zero. That she was every bit as Noble as any of her relatives among the Valliere family. That she wasn't... a failure. She wouldn't, _couldn't_ let something like a bad feeling stop her from getting her own familiar! Still, even so, something set her on edge more than usual today. In fact, as she and her classmates gathered in the courtyard, she swore she could hear a soft humming, even though no one she saw even remotely looked like they were humming. And as her classmates summoned their familiars, that humming never ceased. The melody itself was beautiful and haunting, even through something as simple as humming. Yet, as the day went on, not a single person other than her even seemed to register hearing the music...

Finally, her turn came up. Ignoring the jeers and taunts of her contemptuous peers, especially that Zerbst, Louise used every ounce of concentration and Willpower she needed, and made sure to follow every instruction she had ever heard or read of on this ritual, to the letter. She noticed, once she had started to concentrate on the ritual, that whoever was humming earlier, stopped, but shook her head, freeing her mind of that distraction for now. She then came forward, drew her wand, and started to chant:

"I beg of you... My slave who lives somewhere in the Universe!

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance!

"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere! Pentagon of the five elemental powers, heed my summoning, and bring forth my familiar!"

With the chant completed, everyone braced themselves for a typical explosion to occur, as Louise was wont to cause. However, seconds passed by, and nothing, not even a poof of smoke, appeared. The frustrated teen was still in the exact same pose that she had taken five seconds after the very end of the incantation. Her teeth were almost gritted hard enough to feel like they could shatter under any more pressure, and her eyes were tearing up in obvious frustration. But then, a somewhat familiar voice spoke out of thin air, and this time, _everyone_ could hear her. "Please excuse my belated entrance." This was the only warning given, before the explosion that _should_ have happened roughly five seconds ago, finally reared its ugly head.

* * *

_Tristain Academy of Magic, Elizabeth_

"Please excuse my belated entrance," I say to the other end of the portal as clearly as possible, before floating into its depths. The feeling of going through this magical passageway is very odd, almost as if I'm being forced through a pool of that tasty, viscuous fluid that gets poured on those flat breakfast pastries - I really need to stop, before I give myself a craving for those things - until the very end, where I can almost feel myself exploding into existence. My vision is blocked by an all-encompassing wall of smoke, so I patiently wait for it to dissipate as I get a feel of the surrounding air. The entirety of this atmosphere is thick with magic, which is a fairly pleasant surprise. I believe it's been quite some time since I've experienced an area so rich with magical energies that wasn't somehow connected to some kind of mental realm. When the smoke clears, I find the area surrounded by adolescents and a menagerie of animals near each of them, with an older gentleman apparently supervising. My, is this another school? Is this the Universe's way of telling me that I need more education? Well, I won't deny that I still have much to learn, but-

"A-A human?!" The one who spoke is not the pink-haired girl in front of me, but rather, some other girl in the crowd. Afterwards, more of the students start to speak, with phrases like, "Those clothes, she's a commoner, no matter how you look at her," and, "Y-Yeah, she's a commoner. No mistaking it." Clothes? I don't know what these students are talking about with repeated references of me being some kind of commoner, but I didn't think my clothes looked all _that _bad. Do I need a cape...? Her eye twitching, the pinkette finally starts to talk.

"_T-This _is the sacred, beautiful and strong..." By her voice and words, I'm guessing she's this Louise person who summoned me. Honestly, I wasn't expecting her to compliment me so greatly. I curtsy and respond in the most grateful tone I can muster.

"Why, thank you for the lovely compliments! I don't believe I've _ever_ been called sacred before. You do me a great honor, Miss... Louise, was it?" Unfortunately, she seems nonplussed by my words of gratitude.

"Who are you?! And how do you know my name?!"

"My name is Elizabeth. And didn't you already announce your name when you called for me?" My response perplexes her for some reason, but before we could continue our conversation, a busty, tanned redhead with an enviable figure cuts in.

"T-This makes all that you said worth it!" Am I missing something? From what I can tell, this new girl, among many others, is doing her best to withhold her mirth.

"I never _imagined _you'd summon a commoner!" With that, the redhead starts to quietly guffaw, while Miss Louise retorts with more than a little annoyance.

"It was just a little screw-up!"

"That's the Louise the Zero we know! You never fail to meet our expectations!," a somewhat portly student remarks, before almost all of the students break out into full-blown laughter. A Zero? So this Louise girl really is another Fool...? While I begin pondering the implications of this theory, Louise speaks up once more, silencing the crowd.

"Mr. Colbert, this has to be some kind of mistake! Please, let me try the summoning again..."

"No can do, Miss Valliere," Mr. Colbert says firmly to the girl's demand. My, my...that no-nonsense tone that allows no arguments against it is most impressive. Is this what it means to have the power of life and death over the student body? It might be a good idea to test his full capabilities, if he's anywhere near as formidable as the last "Sensei" I had the honor of facing!

"What? Why not?!"

"The Springtime Summoning Ritual is a sacred rite that is crucial to a mage's life. Your familiar has already been summoned; an attempt to redo the ritual would be a sacrilege against the ceremony itself!"

"B-But I've never even _heard_ of taking a commoner as a familiar!"

"Commoner or not, there will be no exceptions. Now, Miss Valliere, if you would complete the contract...?"

"Eh?! With _this_?!" Hmm? What's with this referral to myself as "this"? Has my gender not been made clear enough?

"_Now, _Miss Valliere, or else you will be expelled." Ooh, that tone again~! I _really _want to test his potential. If only all these students weren't in the way... I'll _definitely_ ask him for a bout later. Seemingly resigned to doing whatever is necessary, the pinkette sighs and turns to face me again.

"You'd better be grateful. You'd normally never get this from a noble."

"Ooh, a present? What will you give me?" She raises her wand, and says a chant very similar to the end of the incantation used to summon me.

"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. Pentagon that governs the five powers, give this person your blessing and make it my familiar spirit." Her hand gestures imply that I need to lower my body, so I kneel down. She holds me by my shoulders, and her face leans in, as if to give me a kiss. Oh, my. I don't believe I've been in a situation this intimate since Minato-

Before I can finish my train of thought, Miss Louise actually _does_ give me a kiss, albeit a very brief one. She backs away, and I stand up, dusting off the area of my uniform covering my knee with my free hand. Mr. Colbert speaks once more.

"Looks like Contract Servant was finished without any problems." I wait for this magical contract to take effect, although I am not sure what effect I am waiting for. After a few seconds, my body begins to marginally heat up, although I suspect others might find such conditions warmer than I, especially with the steam apparently emanating from myself. Miss Louise pipes in, answering any questions I might have had about this process.

"It'll end soon. A familiar's rune is being carved onto you." Once she states that, I feel a slight tingling sensation in my left hand. A series of runes I am unfamiliar with shines on the back of my left hand; whatever powers them makes their glow potent enough to radiate past my glove. Mr. Colbert notices something evidently odd about them, but before I can pay any further attention, time briefly comes to a halt, and a voice echoes through my head.

**"Thou art I... and I am Thou...**

**"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana..." **Wait. Hierophant? I thought she was supposed to be a Fool... My confusion needs to be put on hold for the moment, as time resumes not long after the Voice that governs Bonds is done speaking. Curiously enough, Miss Louise's face looks more perplexed than it did a moment ago. Could she have heard the Voice, too...? I do not believe anyone other than the guests of the Velvet Room have ever heard the Voice, not even the ones they form the bonds with, so why is she...?

I feel a distinct sensation, as if someone other than myself is attempting to make my body float, so I quickly break free; I then hear gasps of surprise from the crowd. What are they so surprised about? My, this may be one of the most confusing situations I've ever been in.

"By the Founder! Guiche, why did you let go?!" That was the girl next to the blond boy holding a toy rose. Come to think of it, how does she style her hair like that? Her curls look just like giant golden springs, giving me a nearly irresistible urge to play with them...

"I-It wasn't me! Something-"

"That will be quite enough, Mr. Gramont. Class dismissed." At Mr. Colbert's command, the crowd began to disperse, all of them heading to a dormitory, presumably. I feel a tap on my side; my new employer and Hierophant Link, Miss Louise, apparently wishes to head that way too, but I wait for her to speak; reading people's behavior is not quite my forte, after all.

"Familiar! What are you standing around for? Come on, we need to get to my room." Ah, so I guessed correctly. But, still...

"Miss Louise, not to be rude, but could I perhaps petition your teacher for a spar, first?"

"What." Hm? Come to think of it, Aigis and that Sister-Complex Yu, the "Sensei" I had fought beforehand, had similar responses when I asked _them_ for a fight...

"What's wrong? In certain countries, "Talking with one's Fists" is a sporty, modern and extreme way of getting to know someone, isn't it?! There's a certain elegance to brute-force solutions that I really admire..."

"_What's wrong? _What's wrong with _you_?! Mr. Colbert is a noble; he'll burn you to a crisp before you can blink!"

"Really? Oh, how exciting! Now I want to fight him even _more_!" I really don't see the problem here, Miss Louise; just because I recently found out that my wish cannot be obtained through personal fighting prowess alone, doesn't mean that I no longer enjoy a good fight! Sadly, my response to her seems to have drawn her ire.

"B-But that's... that doesn't... _AAARGH!_ FINE! If you're going to be this unruly, then I'll have to discipline you right away! Let's see how you like the taste of my Silence spell!" She draws her wand and points to me, muttering a small chant, before making the entire vicinity explode. Well, that's an odd way to Silence someone, but I suppose one _wouldn't_ be able to speak if he died or got knocked out... I'll have to remember something like this, the next time I face Margaret.

"T-That wasn't supposed to happen..." Hmm? It wasn't? I _thought _something felt weird about the execution of that spell... I take a look at the pinkette, sprawled out on the grass, and with her clothing in tatters. She looks back at me with half-lidded eyes. Oh, dear. Is she going to lose consciousness from her own miscast? "H...How did you... not get caught in the blast...?" I look down, curious as to what she means. I nod to myself, noting that not even a single fiber of my uniform looks even the slightest bit singed. It would be pretty easy to assume I wasn't caught in the blast radius, wouldn't it? But I decide to succinctly respond to her, in order to dispel such a falsehood.

"Oh, I got caught in the explosion, too. No offense meant on your offensive capabilities, Miss Louise, but... such parlor tricks can get stuffed!" I close my eyes and give her a wide grin, in order to further assure her that I mean no offense. Unfortunately, she passes out. Dear me. Now, how on Earth will I find her room now? I spot a nearby maid, probably having come over here to investigate the cause of that explosion. Yes, perhaps asking the staff for directions would be prudent. Nodding to myself once more, I head over to her. After picking Miss Louise up from the ground, of course.

* * *

_?, Louise_

Oh, how she hated being right...! She whimpered in physical and emotional pain as she regained consciousness. _Why, oh why, couldn't I have summoned a griffin or a dragon as my familiar? Why did it have to be _That_...? _But it wasn't just the familiar that was the problem, oh no. All the weirdness surrounding the ritual also contributed in spades. First that weird humming, then the utter strangeness of the commoner, then the voice that no one else seemed to hear, just as the runes were being inscribed... What's a Persona, anyway? And did it call her a Fool?! It was bad enough when all of her classmates mocked her, but some strange, demonic-sounding voice had to insult her, too?! And that's not even getting into what happened after the Contract Servant ritual was done. Why did her familiar suddenly space out like that...? Louise had thought Guiche and the others would need to levitate her over to the dorms, but then Mr. Colbert suddenly canceled the spell, for whatever reason. And then, and then...! What would possess her new familiar to suddenly request a duel with Mr. Colbert?! Was she suicidal or something?! She thought that something bad might happen today, but she was worried about her ritual failing in front of the class or something normal, not that... _faux pas! _Her head still hurt immensely, so much so that she didn't even want to open her eyes right now.

"Chii-nee-sama, what do I do...?" Then, as if in response to her query, an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"My, my. Whoever would have expected our very own Elizabeth to bring us our next guest?" At the sound of an unknown old man's voice, as well as his casual mention of the name of her new familiar, Louise's eyes immediately shot open, and she forced herself up, only to look at her surroundings, awestruck. The room she was in was a near-flawless recreation of her very own room at her house, except all the furnishings were velvet, and matched the color of the familiar's clothing perfectly. In addition, most of her decorations, including the stuffed animals she so loved, were gone, replaced by what appeared to be a juice bar, managed by a young-looking manservant. Directly in front of her, sat an old man, with an enormous nose and bloodshot eyes. To his side was an attractive, mature-looking female assistant, with long, wavy hair, and wearing a dress very similar to her familiar's; for some reason, she had a hand covering her face, as though something had recently vexed her somewhat. Louise looked at both the manservant and the assistant multiple times, and noticed that they bore a heavy resemblance to her familiar, before an unseen piano started playing a strangely familiar tune. It only took a few more seconds before she realized exactly where she heard this melody from; it was exactly the same song that was being hummed in the background during the Springtime Summoning Ritual! But before she could ask any questions, the old man began to speak once again.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. My name is Igor; I am delighted to make your acquaintance. My two assistants right now are Margaret and Theodore, siblings to your new... familiar, was it...? (Chuckle)." Yes, she _thought_ those two looked like her familiar. Louise nodded to herself, before the full implications of the rest of Igor's introduction set in, and she immediately leapt into action once more, standing on top of the facsimile of her bed, which she had awoken in. As if on cue, a woman began to wail eerily in that same familiar tune, with the piano playing now relegated to the background.

"_W-WHAT?! _What's all _that_ supposed to mean?! Who in the Founder are you?! How are you all related to my familiar?! _Where is that blasted music coming from?! _As a noble of the prestigious Valliere family, I _demand _that you all explain yourselves!" This did not do as much as the young Zero intended, as "Theodore" cleaned the wine glasses, "Margaret" let out an apparently long-suffering sigh, and "Igor" gave her an expression that seemed to say either, "U MAD," or, "YOU GONNA GET RAEP'D" - not that Louise would know either of those phrases, or even be able to tell the difference between the facial expressions, considering the man's expression was nearly always something along those lines.

"A-hem. Are you done now, Miss Valliere?" In an attempt to retaliate against these foolish "commoners," Louise tried to draw out her wand and make all of them explode _on purpose _this time, only to find it no longer on her person. She ground her teeth together in frustration, then tried to see if she had her trusty riding crop on her.

_Damn, it's not here either. Why, me...?_, she thought to herself, before slumping back in the bed and giving Igor a resigned nod. Igor's perpetual smile widened, and he silently gestured at Margaret to speak. Even though she couldn't have possibly seen him doing so, she pulled her hand from her face, and turned towards Louise, giving her a thin smile.

"I sincerely apologize for any trouble my sister has caused you thus far, and apologize in advance for the troubles you two will invariably face in the near future." Margaret stood up, and bowed deeply to her, before going back to her seat and resuming her speech. "Now then, as my master already stated, my name is Margaret, and my job in assisting him is to accompany and assist you throughout your journey. I must say, it is a very strange one, even by the standards of the Velvet Room. Not only does it directly involve a former resident, but the person meant to utilize our services this time is the _binder_ of the contract, instead of the bound." Louise looked at Margaret perplexedly, before responding.

"Journey? Binder of the contract? What do you mean by all of that?" This time, it was Igor who spoke, giving the pinkette the information she wished for.

"A journey is just that; it could refer to a physical journey, but it could also refer to a journey of self-discovery and mental growth. It is the crux of the Fool Arcana. But, we can talk about that in due time. To answer your second question, the Velvet Room is a room that only those who are bound by a contract can enter, under normal circumstances. You have just drawn up such a contract with Elizabeth, a former resident of the room; normally, _she_ would be called here, as opposed to you. Even _we_ cannot be entirely sure of why this has happened, but we have a few theories.

"First of all, since Elizabeth, a former resident, left of her own free will, it may be possible that she cannot be called to the Velvet Room against her wishes. In that case, since this is a path of her own choosing, she can no longer directly interact with us until she comes back on her own.

"Second, is the nature of your contract with her. You, being Elizabeth's new master, would most likely be held accountable for her and her actions. Therefore, since the contract drawn up is not one among equals, nor one between a single person and a conglomerate entity, but one between a clearly-designated master and a clearly-designated servant, the master in the relationship would naturally be the one summoned here, even though the one who would physically benefit from our aid is probably Elizabeth.

"Third, is the nature of your magic. It already says something about your magic if it is potent enough to summon Elizabeth, but we of the Velvet Room have no true idea on how it actually works, since you have yet to fully discover its secrets yourself. An unknown factor such as that could have easily interfered with our being able to reach her directly, if it was your power alone that was able to call to her.

"Those are all of the theories we have come up with so far. The actual reason could be a combination of these factors, or it could be something entirely unrelated to them altogether. In any case, since you are here right now, let's look into your future, shall we?"

Louise's eyes were practically swirling at Igor's speech; the answers to the questions she had posed brought up so many new questions that she didn't even know where to begin. How could her familiar, some random commoner from who-knows-where, be a former resident of this weird... space-between-spaces, if what Igor said is true? How would moving out of this room prevent her from being brought back in? What's the difference between her contract with Elizabeth as a familiar and those other types of contracts that he mentioned? Why would she benefit from whatever help this "Velvet Room" could give her, as opposed to Louise herself? What does Igor mean by "nature of her magic"? What was so great about summoning Elizabeth? A commoner could _never_ win against a noble, no matter _how_ strong she is! Right?! "Yet to fully discover its secrets"? Louise's practical aptitude for magic was terrible, but she was one of the most well-versed students in magical theory in her class! All of her horrible ineptitude resulted from improper casting of the spells, or so she thought... what facet of Magic could she possibly not know about by now? And what did Igor mean by "looking into her future"?!

When Louise paid attention to Igor again, she noticed that a set of playing cards was on the table in front of Igor, in a three-card horizontally-arranged spread. All of the cards were facedown. He looked up at her, and gave her that same kind of creepy grin, before speaking once more. "Miss Valliere, do you believe in fortune-telling? Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different... (chuckle) Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" Before she could respond with the troublesome religious dogma that had been drilled into her since birth, Igor began his Tarot reading.

"The first card hints at your past. The Wheel of Fortune is in the upright position." For added emphasis, Igor pointed at the card he just flipped face-up with his index finger. Louise saw a painting of a wheel with a large blade as the top spoke. It was pointed at a rat-like creature with a demonic tail. On the opposite end of the card, a snake was present, writhing and held in place by something unseen. Louise looked at the card for just a little bit longer, before indicating to Igor that he should go on with his explanation. "The Wheel of Fortune represents Fate, varied fortunes, and the like. What is up, shall move down. What is down, will go up." Although Louise wished for Igor to elaborate, he held his hand up, indicating that he would explain more in a little bit. With that settled, Igor flipped the next card, the one just in the middle, over.

"The second card hints at your present, up to events in the very near future. It's the Hermit, in the upright position." The card revealed featured an eye looking straight ahead, with some sort of lantern-looking thing right on top of it. "The Hermit represents introspection, solitude, and philosophical searches." Finally, Igor flipped over the last card, on his right.

"The final card hints at your future. It's the Devil, in the upright position." Louise was startled at this last card. Both the name and the drawing of the card looked very foreboding, indeed... "Now, I know the card seems to indicate some degree of misfortune, but that is not what the Devil Arcana represents in the least. No, the Devil is meant to symbolize temptation, the urge to do selfish, impulsive, or violent things, and the like. Of course, it also is meant to represent a healthy bond or commitment... (Chuckle)!

"Now that I have seen your past, present, and future, the time has come to bind them all together into a cohesive whole. Are you ready, Miss Valliere?" The young mage, very skeptical of the accuracy of this reading, hesitantly nodded just once. Igor continued with his interpretation of the cards. "You mentioned that you were of a powerful, noble family called the Valliere, but from what we and Elizabeth have seen of you so far, your classmates do not seem to think very highly of your capabilities, destructive force aside. Based on that information, the card that was drawn, and the theory we have about the nature of your magic, I would have to say that although you were born in wealth and prestige, and blessed with an extremely rare and powerful magic, your lack of knowledge on how to properly utilize it as such disguised it as a curse, and your fortunes turned around drastically, to the point where not even _you_ have any real faith in your own capabilities anymore."

Suddenly, the Valliere leapt out of the bed altogether, dashed over to where Igor was sitting, and forcefully grabbed him by the lapels. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, and her voice wavered a little as she replied to his speech. "_H-HOW DARE YOU?! You don't know anything about me or my family, you impudent, lowborn charlatan!_" She was about to continue her impassioned rant, until she saw that the perpetual smile had left Igor's face. The rage which had driven her up to that point left her, and she let go and sat herself down on the chair located on the opposite end of the table from Igor. She leaned towards the table, her hair and her position completely concealing her eyes from the residents of the Velvet room; soon, tears fell onto the table, and she clutched her head with both hands in obvious despair. "H...How is my magic any good? Before summoning that stupid Familiar, I never cast a successful spell even once, and even _that _spell exploded. How is something like that a blessing?! I...I really _am _nothing but a Zero." Before Louise wallowed in self-pity any further, a tap at her shoulder drew her gaze up to Margaret, who had a napkin offered in her other hand. She took the napkin and wiped up her tears and snot, before Igor continued, in a more subdued tone.

"My dear guest, that is the beauty of the Fool." Seeing Louise look at him quizzically, Igor drew the card from his sleeve, showing her the bottom in particular. A Zero was there, in plain sight. Wondering if he was making fun of her, Louise considered whether it was prudent to let go of the creepy old man so soon, before he elaborated. "The number 0 is empty, yet it holds infinite possibilities; likewise, the Fool, the 0th Arcana, is undefined, and has no boundaries." Louise just pouted, not having fully understood the implications of his explanation.

"Have you _seen _my magic? All I can ever do is make explosions! What part of that "has no boundaries"? How does my runic name, Louise the Zero, suggest "infinite possibilities"?! _Stop making fun of me!_" This time, Margaret cut in, and smiled serenely at her, before responding.

"The Fool Arcana does not mean that it can be taken lightly. The Fool is number zero. It is the Void from which all other things begin."

"T-The Void?! But that's -"

Igor cleared his throat to grab Louise's attention, before speaking. "Thank you very much, Margaret. In any case, I wasn't done with my reading, so are you ready for the next part?" Although a part of her was still extremely apprehensive, Louise had seen and heard firsthand the unsettling accuracy which Igor possessed in speaking of her past circumstances, so she nodded once more, allowing the proprietor of the Velvet Room to continue on to the present. "You will soon undergo a quest, of sorts, in order to discover yourself, and through the insights gained on your gazing inward, you will grow in both wisdom and power." He paused afterwards, allowing Louise to process his statement on the present, before immediately moving on to the future. "But beware, Miss Valliere; the power that you shall gain, in both your spiritual journey and elsewhere, might intoxicate you. With great power comes great responsibility, and it is up to you to resist the urge to use your abilities impulsively. However, if you truly can handle the "weight" of your powers, a strong bond awaits you in the future...(Chuckle)" His fortune-telling done, he gestures to Margaret, who immediately picks up the cards, puts them back in a deck, and shuffles it, before putting it away.

"As Margaret stated before, our duty is to attend to our guests, and aid them in their journeys. Though things are undoubtedly different this time, considering your situation with Elizabeth, it does not change our goal. Even though your responsibility is now to aid your new familiar, our responsibility is, in short, to help you in helping your familiar. (Chuckle), don't worry about the details; they will be explained in full, the next time you come here. Of course, the next time you come, it shall be of your own volition, so, in order to aid in that respect... Here you go, Miss Valliere." With that, Igor handed Louise a large, glowing key that was the same shade of blue as the rest of the room. She quickly hung it around her neck, using a chain that seemed to have been newly-created, not that she would have known. Margaret then finished the lengthy conversation.

"Before you come here again, please be sure to let my sister know that Theodore, Igor and I are still looking out for her, and that we wish her the best of luck on her new journey. Until then, farewell..."

* * *

_?, Louise_

Louise felt herself snuggled against something soft and warm, reminding her of her beloved Chii-nee-sama. She curled up in an effort to stay in the world of dreams, only to get knocked wide awake by a certain woman's voice.

"You know Miss Louise, you remind me of a cat when you're sleeping." Her eyes immediately shot open, only to see nothing but a dark shade of blue. Finding immediate suspicion with this view, she looked up, only to have her theory confirmed. In response to this new information, she catapulted herself out of her new familiar's embrace, only to fall out of bed altogether. Elizabeth tilted her head quizzically, before asking, "Oh! You didn't hurt yourself, did you? That sounded rather painful..."

"F-F-FAMILIAR! What were you doing in my bed?! _And where are my clothes?!_" In case the readers of this story were wondering, Louise, having just experienced what was probably the worst wake-up call she had ever suffered through, found herself devoid of all clothing, even her panties, upon exiting the warmth and comfort of Elizabeth's bosom. Oh, and the bedsheets too, I guess.

"Well, thanks to the help of a friendly maid - Sista, I think her name was - I found out where your room was located, but when I inquired about the repair of your clothing, she said they were a "lost clause"."

"Clause?"

"Claws? Clarinets? Something along those lines." At this statement, Louise could see Elizabeth giving her a small, self-assured grin. Louise's eye twitched momentarily, before she shook her head and continued to complain.

"N-Never mind that for now! Why couldn't you have at least dressed me in one of my negligees?"

"Oh, I didn't think it would be wise to go through your belongings without your express permission first. I figured that you would get cold without something on, so I simply held you by my body for the duration of the night." Louise's anger deflated at the explanation given, but she was still mildly irritated by... Let's just say the entirety of yesterday, and leave it at that. Not to mention the eerily-specific dream that felt far too real for Louise's comfort... Still, there's no possible way her new [_commoner_] familiar could come from a place like that! Right?

"W-Well, thank you for the concern, but for future reference, my clothing can be considered "safe to go through," okay?" Elizabeth just tilted her head again at this.

"Hmm? Why? It's not like any of your clothing would fit me, and I'm not a student of this school..."

"Do I seriously need to spell it out for you?! As a Familiar, it is your duty to help with your master in any way possible. That goes double for a commoner like you. In addition, if they have a servant, aristocrats never put their clothes on themselves! Therefore, it's your job to help me get dressed every day!" Louise kept her finger pointed at Elizabeth for the duration of the short speech for added emphasis. This unfortunately got very awkward when Elizabeth simply stayed in the bed. "Well? What are you waiting for?!"

"Oh, so you _don't_ happen to just lounge around your room in the nude?"

"_Why in Halkeginia would you think that?!_"

"Well, I figured there had to be _some _reason why you hadn't put your clothes on by now... Also, what's a "Halkeginia"? Is it something you eat?" _By the Founder_, was trying to speak to her new familiar irritating! It's like she really _was _from an entirely different world or something; Louise couldn't even _begin _to fathom how her mind worked.

"What kind of commoner doesn't know the name of the continent we're in?!"

"If I had to guess, this person you're talking about is either mentally ill, entirely uneducated, or someone who didn't originally live in the continent. But what does that have to do with my question? And, on another note, how does nobility work in this area?" At this point, Louise's entire body had turned cherry-red, more out of rage and frustration than anything else.

"_WHAT IS THIS-I DON'T EVEN-BY THE F-AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHH!_" After this explosive outburst - which was heard all over the campus, by the way - her body regained its normal color, although gouts of steam still seemed to be escaping it. She resumed talking a few seconds later. "You know what? Never mind. I'll just get dressed by myself, today. I was going to be nice and let you sit with me during breakfast, but just stay outside the dining hall with the other familiars." She went to her wardrobe to pick out a new outfit, before continuing her tirade. "And don't think you can escape helping me get dressed tomorrow!" Elizabeth's smile faded from her face, as she lost herself in thought, when, finally, a [metaphorical] lightbulb turned on in her head. She snapped her fingers at this, drawing a fully-dressed Louise's attention to her once more. She then lifted up her dress and gave her new master an eyeful. "W-What are you doing?!"

"I couldn't help but notice that you referred to me as "it" several times yesterday, so I thought that perhaps you weren't aware of my gender," Elizabeth said succinctly, pulling her uniform down again.

"_T-That's not what I meant!_ You're just a familiar spirit! An object doesn't need to be referred to by its gender!"

"Well, that's just stupid! Where did you hear such a nonsensical fallacy? Most familiars were living organisms with clearly-defined genders before becoming familiars. You should always take great care to treat them as such, instead of as mere objects. Now then, off to breakfast we go!" And with that said, Elizabeth marched off to find some breakfast, while Louise found herself turning cherry-red once more.

"STUPID?! _I'M _THE STUPID ONE?! _You can go hungry today, for all I care!_"

* * *

_Courtyard outside of the Dining Hall, Elizabeth_

Oh, my, that was fun~! I had no idea riling up my new master would be so entertaining! It puts a spring in my step as I skip my way around the courtyard, trying to find out where else I can get some food. Now, if only I could find that helpful young maid - Oh! There she is! I calm myself down for the moment and walk over to her, apparently carrying a cake to one of these students spending time with their new familiars. Maybe while I'm asking her for some food, I can also ask her about that commoner/nobility thing; Miss Louise seemed too agitated to properly answer my question, though it was technically my fault she got like that...

"Miss Siscon!"

"Huh? Oh, it's you! How nice to see you again Miss Elizabeth! My name's Siesta, by the way. What is it? Do you or your master need help again?"

"I'm on my own for the moment, and need some food. Would you happen to know where I can find any, aside from the Dining Hall?"

"I'm fairly sure the head chef, Marteau, has some extra food ready if you just ask for it. It would go to waste, after all, if no one ate it."

"Thank you kindly, Miss Chiester!" I do a curtsy, in order to further show my gratitude, before talking again. "Now then, could you perhaps escort me to the kitchen? I am still new to this area, and my sense of direction is not that great..."

"Certainly! Just let me take this cake over to that table, first. And it's Siesta, not Chiester."

"Oh, I can take it over there, for you. It's the least I can do to thank you. But, before I do that... what's with the whole commoner/nobility thing? I've heard those terms being thrown around quite a bit, but not even my master answered me when I asked."

"What? Isn't it obvious? Everyone knows that nobles have magic, and commoners don't. Where are you from, anyway? Does the system of nobility work differently in your country?"

Hmm... So, in this world, magic equals nobility, huh? Actually, that explains a fair amount of Miss Louise's behavior towards me, as well as her attitude in general. Yes, I could see her being a Hierophant now... This little element might end up damaging the newly-formed bond I have with Miss Fiesta, if it isn't revealed the right way. I have to come up with something... Right. I think _that_ approach might work. Miss Fiesta asked me something, so I should answer her now. "Oh, dear. I am sincerely sorry, Miss... was it Siesta or Fiesta... Your kindness was due to a false assumption!"

"Um,_ what_? And it's _Siesta_, Miss Elizabeth, not Fiesta!"

"Although, in my world, such a system of nobility hasn't been used in centuries, I technically wouldn't be a commoner, by your world's standards! I truly apologize for troubling you; if you wish to associate with me no longer, I wouldn't blame you! Just let me deliver this cake, and I can attempt to find food on my own." I take the plate from her hands and quickly, yet melodramatically walk over to the table she had pointed to. A familiar-looking student, the one who had levitated my body yesterday, was busy courting the springy-haired blonde I saw next to him that day. Wait, wasn't he trying to court that brown-cloaked girl last night, while Miss Siesta and I were going to Miss Louise's room? I should ask him about that, while he's right there. Before I can speak, Miss Siesta hurries over to me.

"W-Wait! We can still be friends, Miss Elizabeth! And I don't know what you meant by your speech! Please don't be so hasty!" Just as planned. Sorry for the impromptu bit of manipulation, Miss Siesta, but in my Journey, every friendship counts, and friendship _is _Magnets, after all. Mana? Maryoku? Something along those lines.

"What's all this commotion about?," the foppish blond with the mole and the rose asks me. Oh, of course! Now is the perfect time to ask him about his relationships, especially with the brown-cloaked girl approaching from the corner of my eye, with a basket of goods in her arm. Silly me~! I can be so absent minded sometimes. I was so wrapped up in my little plan with Siesta, that I was ready to just walk away from this couple when I heard her still willing to be friends with me. I need to remember to make new bonds, as well as strengthen the ones I already possess, if I'm going to truly maximize the power of the Wild Card. At this point, the pretty blond boy notices the brown-cloaked girl approaching, and tries leading the blonde girl to a different location.

"H-Hey, Montmorency, why don't we move over there? Don't you think it's getting too noisy here?"

"Hm? Mr. Rose, what about this cake you ordered?" He turns around with an odd facial expression, as if my referring to him as Mr. Rose is strange. What's wrong with that moniker? I don't know his name, but I know he always carries that rose-looking wand with him...

"I-I'm not hungry anymore! Y-You can have it! Come on, Montmorency -" As he's attempting to walk away, I stop him by holding him gently by the arm, dragging him over to the brown-cloaked girl.

"Good day to you, Miss Brown Cloak. Were you, by any chance, attempting to find this boy?" I present the blond to her by gently pushing him until he's directly in front of her. He clutches the arm I was holding him by with his other hand, for some reason, and gives the brown-cloaked girl, a Miss Katie, a nervous-sounding greeting. The blonde spring-haired girl - Montana, I think she was called - is close by, and goes to the boy's side once more. Both of them are glaring at him, for some reason. How odd... Minato courted plenty of women other than myself, and none of _them_ seemed unhappy with his openness. In fact, like this blond boy in front of me, Minato dated quite a few of us at the same time. Then again, I never saw him directly interact with more than one of us at any given moment, aside from those who worked with him during the Dark Hour. Could it perhaps be socially frowned upon for this boy to be found out dating more than one girl at a time? Dear me, I seem to have made a mistake in bringing these three together.

A few seconds after I realize this error, I hear a loud slap, and see both Miss Montana and Miss Katie leaving the vicinity. Mr. Rose turns his moderately-reddened face in my direction, and looks none too pleased. He gets up, and begins to address me.

"It looks like you don't know the manners you should show towards nobles." I nod, and reply in kind.

"Well, there is that to consider, but the problem here seemed to be more based on me not knowing the proper etiquette used to establish polyamorous relationships. It was indeed my fault, for bringing you three together at once." I bow to him, hoping to alleviate some of his frustration, though it doesn't seem to work.

"A simple apology is not good enough. Commoner, it seems like you need to be taught a lesson."

"Oh? Lessons would be nice; I still have much to learn, after all. What kind of lesson do you propose?"

"A long, hard, painful lesson. I propose a duel!" Well, well. A duel, he says? I wasn't expecting something like this to come up, but it will give me some idea on what this world's magic is like, and it will get this boy to calm down! That's what I love about a fight. Resolving a conflict through a show of force is simple, straightforward, and beautiful, all at once! Oh, wait. Did I already say that? It feels as if I said something just like that not too long ago... Before I can respond to his challenge, he decides to elaborate, for whatever reason. "You're a commoner, and only a familiar spirit. Yet you insulted me, and above all, you made two ladies cry!"

"What? I did nothing of the sort. What are you talking about?"

"You called me Mr. Rose! I'll have you know, my name is Guiche de Gramont, of the famed Gramont family!"

"Oh, I meant you no offense, Mr. Quiche. I didn't know your name until now, and had to call you by something, so I called you Mr. Rose, after your rose wand! But on another note, neither Miss Katie nor Miss Montana seemed to be crying as they walked away. And, even if they _were_ crying, I am fairly sure it wouldn't be due to _my _actions; all I did was bring you three together at once, after all."

"You dare to insult both me and Montmorency with those names?! I am done speaking with you! Meet me in the Vestri court in ten minutes; women are not usually targets of my ire, but I will make an exception for you, _commoner_." With that said, Mr. Leash walks away, somehow making his black cape flow behind him in an astoundingly striking manner. Ooh... Now I _really _want a cape. I've heard that they're somewhat impractical to wear, but a properly-worn cape is a thing to behold~!

* * *

_Courtyard outside of the Dining Hall, Louise_

"Stupid Zerbst... Who does she think she is, accusing _me _of... Just because she got a Salamander... AAARGH!," the short-tempered pink-haired mage muttered as she stormed out of the Dining Hall. Suddenly, before she could fume any further, a brief tug at her shirt, as well as a softly-spoken, "Louise," temporarily broke her out of her fervor, and she turned to the person who had caught her attention: Tabitha, the Zerbst's best friend [somehow], as well as supposedly being one of the best students in the academy despite also being the least talkative by far. For Tabitha to pay more than even the slightest bit of attention to the Zero, let alone call her by name, something serious had to be going on. Louise, therefore, paid immediate attention to what the quiet blue-haired mage was about to say.

"Familiar. Duel. Vestri Court." The blunette waited patiently, letting the impact of her words sink into her classmate's mind.

"_DUEL?! With who?!_" Louise then thought back to what her familiar had asked her the day before, and immediately thought to herself, _Please don't let it be Mr. Colbert, Please don't let it be Mr. Colbert, Please, _Founder_, don't let it be Mr. -_

"Guiche." When hearing this, Louise immediately let out a sigh of relief, before realizing that that answer was still bad, because her familiar was going to duel a noble, and it - no, she - was going to get crushed if she didn't go there and make her apologize before it was too late!

"Okay, how long ago was the challenge issued? Do I still have time to intervene?"

"5 minutes ago. 5 minutes left. Go to Vestri," Tabitha advised in her usual, terse manner; if Louise wasn't so concerned, she would have noted that this was the most she had ever heard the girl say in one sitting.

"I'll head there right now. Thanks, Tabitha!," Louise yelled behind herself, as she immediately made a dash for the Vestri Court. Tabitha, in return, cracked an extremely brief smile, nodded her head once, and called for her familiar, Sylphid, planning to watch the duel herself, should Louise fail.

* * *

_Vestri Court, Louise/Guiche_

"FAMILIAR! _WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!_," Louise yelled, making the crowd in front of her forcibly part so that she could reach her. Elizabeth smiled at her master's appearance, and greeted her warmly.

"Hello, Miss Louise! I trust you had a pleasant Breakfast?"

"That's not the point! And stop calling me Miss Louise; at least have the courtesy to call me Master!"

"Aww. But "Miss Louise" sounds cuter on you~!"

"Rrrrgh, that's still not the point! Listen, we still have some time before the duel! Just apologize to Guiche, and -"

"I already tried that. Unfortunately, it only served to anger Mr. Leash further. Truly, it seems that a show of force will be necessary." At this, Elizabeth gave Louise a very dangerous-looking smile, one that unsettled her far further than anything that she had said or done before. It was a kind of smile that said, "I'm going to destroy him, and I know it." Could Louise really trust her familiar with something like this...? Suddenly, before Louise could think any further, her familiar bent down to pick up something near her foot. The uneaten half of the cake which was given to Elizabeth sat on a plate, which she had set on the ground a little while before Louise had shown up. "Now then, would you like this remaining piece of cake...?" Louise simply put her palm to her face in response, which Elizabeth took to mean, "No.". She then finished off the cake in a few quick bites, picked up the plate, and handed it to a young, black-haired maid, before going back to her designated spot.

Louise had just one more option to play in order to prevent this duel from happening; she would gladly set her pride as a noble aside, if it meant keeping her familiar, her own personal property, alive and well.

"Guiche, cut it out already! You know that duels are prohibited!"

"Actually, what's prohibited are duels between _nobles_. She's a _commoner_. There's no problem here."

"T-That's... only because we've never had anything like this..." Guiche smiled at Louise coming to her familiar's defense so quickly.

"Louise, don't tell me you feel some kind of sympathy for this impudent commoner."

"W-Who would?! Don't be ridiculous; I can't just stand by and watch my familiar spirit get beaten up!" As she looked at Guiche's devilish smile, Louise realized that both of their minds were entirely set on this duel. The only thing she could do now is pray for her familiar's safety. _Founder, please save this poor, unwitting Familiar of mine..._

Guiche, the shameless fop that he is, pretended to smell his rose wand, before using his free hand to give his cape a flourish, and pointing the wand directly at Elizabeth, as if trying to slice the air in front of him. He then began to speak typical pre-duel banter. "Now then, familiar, are you ready for your lesson? It will be torturous, but beautiful, all the same..."

"Oh, I couldn't agree more, Mr. Capiche. I'm expecting a lot out of you." The familiar showed her usual mystifying smile, but it held a glimmer of imminent danger, this time, although no one in the vicinity, save Tabitha, had anywhere _near_ the amount of experience necessary to understand even an iota of the amount of threat she truly presented.

"Tch. Again with the silly nicknames. Whatever counts for wit in that spoony head of yours will not save you from my wrath." He ran his free hand through his hair, and brushed off any lingering sweat, which sparkled in the sun as if he was an incredibly fruity vampire, before he opened his mouth once more. "But here, have something that might save you. I want you to have at least a sporting chance against me, before you beg for mercy." The young Gramont formed a sword with the use of his earth magic, then threw it near Elizabeth's feet, planting it on the ground by the tip.

"Oh, my. Thank you for the generosity, as much as I probably don't need it. The same goes for you, too, Guiche de Gramont. I want you to have a sporting chance, so please, feel free to come at me with the intent to kill." A dot-class mage though he may be, Guiche was still a noble, and as stated by Brimiric teachings, nobles can and always will defeat commoners. To all of the students save Tabitha and maybe Louise, the outcome of this duel was crystal clear. So then why did all of them feel so much... tension in the air? Louise in particular felt very apprehensive, especially at the way her familiar had addressed Guiche just now. Didn't she keep mixing up names, earlier...? _What could she possibly do to win this match?_, the pinkette thought to herself, just before a hawk let out its cry, a petal from Guiche's rose wand dropped to the ground, and Elizabeth drew the sword she was given.

As soon as she drew the blade, Elizabeth watched in amazement as the runes on her left hand began to glow intensely, and knowledge on many different forms of swordsmanship began to flow into her. This sudden reaction surprised Elizabeth enough for her to remain wide open, and the Valkyrie golem formed from the rose petal Guiche threw a hard punch, directly connecting to her stomach. The sound of the Valkyrie's metal fist meeting Elizabeth's unprotected abdomen echoed throughout the courtyard, and everyone became completely silent. Elizabeth simply blinked. Everyone else was so stunned they couldn't even breathe. "What's wrong, Guiche de Gramont? I thought I warned you not to hold back, so why...?" Before Guiche could blink, Elizabeth was directly in front of him, not even bothering to threaten him with the sword he had given her. Startled, he jumped back, throwing down another three petals and making the same amount of Valkyries. They leveled their spears at her in defense of their master, while Guiche commanded the first Valkyrie to strike Elizabeth from behind while her attention was on the ones in front. At least, he tried, until that golem abruptly fell apart, having been halved both vertically and horizontally by unseen cuts.

Listening to Elizabeth's advice this time, Guiche made his three newly-formed Valkyries stab at the infuriating girl with their bronze javelins. Elizabeth deftly dodged the striking spears, before twirling her sword in a figure-eight flourish. Before the blond fop knew it, the familiar closed in and cut the golems' weapons down to nothing, shortly before dicing them up, too. They were able to buy him enough time to put some much-needed distance between himself and Elizabeth, and he formed all the Valkyries he could with the petals he had left, before smirking to himself. There was no way she was going to get through -

As if hearing his thoughts, Elizabeth made an absurdly-high jump that would obviously be able to bypass Guiche's bevy of bronze battle vixens. Thinking fast, however, he stopped her incredible jump in midair by levitating her. He then laughed, almost evilly. "Hahahaha, AHAHAHAHAHA! Now do you see what the difference is between us?! Your chances of beating me were never there to begin with! Now, take your punishment, and know your place, _commoner_!" Having been nearly cornered by the woman, Guiche had grown desperate when she made that jump, but now the tables have turned. Elizabeth wasn't smiling now. But, she didn't even look like she was in any real danger, either. She just looked at her opponent's face, and listened. She then shook her head.

"Why are you acting like your victory has already been assured? Didn't I already break free of your hold yesterday?" At her question, Guiche stopped laughing immediately, and even stopped smiling altogether. All he said was one word.

"_W-What?_" As if that word was a signal, Elizabeth forced herself free, without even the slightest hint of effort. Everyone in the crowd gasped, and both Guiche and his Valkyries stumbled back a step. She looked at the sword in her hand, then snapped it in half over her knee.

"I'm afraid I must retract my statement of thanks towards you earlier, if that gesture was simply made to toy with me. I do not normally fight using swords, anyway. Now, where did I... Oh, right, I left it in Miss Louise's room. That's fine, I can call it in a snap, anyway." With that said, the strange familiar snapped her fingers once, and the large book she had been carrying with her when she was summoned appeared in her hands, in a brief flash of light. She opened up the book, looked at it briefly, then made the deepest frown Louise had ever seen from her; not that she was paying attention to her face, anyway, since she was more concerned with her familiar suddenly _breaking free of a levitation spell, snapping a sword in two, and casually summoning her book with a snap of her fingers_. "Hm... it will have to do, for now." She turned her attention to the foppish nobleman in front of her, before resuming. "It is time for my counterattack, Guiche de Gramont. Whether you're ready or not, your fate is in the cards."

"A-All of you, attack now!," Guiche ordered his brigade of golems. In response to the order, Elizabeth drew a card from the book, held it up high in the air, and yelled, "Persona!" Everyone else looked at her curiously, except for Siesta, whose eyes widened briefly, before she became aware of her surprise and carefully schooled it into a facade of curiosity. Elizabeth herself was in a position to see Siesta's true reaction, and resolved to talk to her about it sometime later, but kept her focus on the duel for now. She waited for the bronze Valkyries to get close enough, then shouted, "Swift Strike!" In one moment, Guiche saw his golems charging at the unsettling familiar. In the next, all of them got completely reduced to scrap by an unseen force. Guiche wondered what in the Founder could have destroyed all of his remaining Valkyries so quickly, until he, and the rest of the onlookers saw... _it_.

It had the body of a large and beautifully-crafted alviss, yet it looked far more advanced than any modern-day Halkeginian alviss had any right to look. It towered over its apparent summoner, easily reaching over double Elizabeth's height. The immense silver lyre on its back alone was almost as tall as her. But that wasn't the most unsettling part. A red scarf covered its neck, and its head looked surprisingly human and lifelike. That still wasn't the most unsettling part. The odd being behind Elizabeth floated ominously, apparently awaiting another command, which, judging from the short display, it could execute with a terrifying power and effectiveness that most of the students watching the battle could scarcely _dream _of wielding. But even _that _fact wasn't the most unsettling part. No, the most unsettling part, to Guiche, had to be those, big, glowing, red eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul, much like the gaze Elizabeth herself was now giving him. Keeping the form of her new guardian directly behind her, she began to speak, as Guiche formed a new sword and began swinging at Elizabeth in a crazed, yet ineffectual frenzy.

"How sad. You have a fair amount of potential, both in romance and combat, yet you squander it in your foolishness. From the amount of effort you put into all of your attacks, I would guess... no, I would say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Miss Louise works far harder than you. True, she might not have much to show for it just yet, but to call upon one such as I indicates that there is quite a bit of power hidden underneath the surface." Guiche attempted to swing at Elizabeth's neck, only to get his sword abruptly stopped by the protecting spirit's gigantic lyre. A light smack in the chest with the same lyre bashed both the blond fop and his new sword twenty feet away.

"You disappoint me, Magician. You have the self-confidence, true, but where's your initiative? Where is your ability to harness your talents? Where is your tactical prowess, Hm? Had you been smarter with your golems, and had you not held back from the start, you could have put pressure on me, and stopped me from summoning my Compendium to my side in the first place." Although Guiche got up, picked up his sword and charged at Elizabeth again, he found himself rebuffed once more by the guardian minstrel, who dove down and rammed into him at high speeds, pounding both his body and his sword to the ground.

"And why, pray tell, did you really start flirting with Miss Katie in the first place? Was it because you truly loved her alongside that Montmorency girl, and wanted to get to know her as well? Was it because she is pretty and demure and knows how to cook? Or did you find it too hard to keep dealing with Miss Montmorency alone, and want to move on to a different girl to "hit on"? In any case, know this, Guiche de Gramont: the Lovers Suffer in Indecision.

"Now, then, as I said before, your fate is in the cards." With that said, Elizabeth touched Guiche lightly on the head, sucking his entire body into the book, and closing it briefly, before opening it again and immediately letting him out. She kept the book open, and showed him the card that had been dealt to him. "You, my blond "noble" friend, have been dealt the fate of the Tower, in the upright position. Fitting - pride goeth before a fall, after all. Now, learn from this defeat and mature yourself, and maybe, just maybe, you can show me your true potential next time. But first, here is a gift, from me to you. Agi," she declared, before snapping her fingers, engulfing Guiche's entire form in flame.

All Louise and the rest of the crowd could do was stare in shock as Guiche got immolated before their eyes. The vast majority of the crowd then screamed and ran away, nearly drowning out the noble's screams of agony. After a few more seconds, Elizabeth snapped her fingers again, putting out the flames completely. "Dia," she commanded to her floating protector. In response, it played a melody on its lyre, which somehow began to completely undo the horrific injuries Guiche had sustained over the course of the fight. After several more seconds, he was completely healed, with the exception of part of his face; Elizabeth had decided to leave one scar running vertically down the side of his right cheek, as a constant reminder of his defeat. "Now then, I'm still pretty hungry. Miss Louise, why don't we spend some time together and talk with one another, like we were originally supposed to, over my brunch?" Louise just gaped at her familiar. "Excellent! I'll take that as a "Yes"!" Elizabeth then turned to Siesta, who had been similarly mystified by the powerful magic she wielded. "Miss Siesta, could you please do the honor of introducing me to the Head Chef, so I can ask for some of that extra food we talked about earlier?" The young maid's jaw joined Louise's in dropping to the floor. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

_To be continued..._


	2. The Zero's Familiar Shows the World!

**Author's Note: I sincerely apologize if any of my "regular" reviewers came into this expecting the real Chapter 2, but certain matters have gotten out of hand, and I wished to address them in a more noticeable fashion. Regardless, in order to not have this be an entirely fruitless placeholder, I will be showing a small preview of Chapter 2 (Complete with the Working Title, by the way), which I will hopefully have completed by Friday. In any case, it is time to move on to the business at hand -**

* * *

**My response to some reviewers:**

First of all, I wish to apologize for the tone of my review for the work I am currently beta-ing, DoorToThe's _Zero summons a Zero_. I am relatively certain, based on the backlash of that review, that it came across as harsh, unkind, or otherwise unpleasant. For that, I am sorry; I did not mean to sound like I was disparaging the author or his hard work.

However, as his beta reader, and as someone who was requested by him to review the finished product, I did not wish to sugarcoat my observations. As a matter of fact, DoorToThe's own Author's Note at the beginning of Chapter 1 requested _all_ of us, not just myself, to give him constructive criticism. Being his beta reader specifically, I felt that it was my duty in particular to point out his mistakes. It is for that reason that I wrote such a review, and no matter what others may think of me, I will not rescind any of the statements made within the aforementioned critique.

In addition, I would also like to point out that I never actually stated that, "the story wasn't good," or that, "the story was stupid." I called a certain line in the first chapter awful, I stated that I felt that DoorToThe could've done better, and I said that I couldn't in good conscience favorite or follow the story just yet. But I did not, repeat, did NOT at any point call the story itself bad or stupid.

And for the people who said that authors have their own writing styles? I will concede that they have a valid point. People do indeed have distinct writing styles, and not everyone will find the particulars of someone's style agreeable. But just because people happen to have different writing styles, doesn't mean that similar mistakes _won't_ occur across multiple styles. _Every_ writer makes mistakes and has room to grow, _regardless_ of their style. Helping other writers to improve is the overarching goal of a beta reader like myself; simply editing someone else's rough drafts is only a small piece of the bigger picture.

That's another thing I wanted to point out, too; for all the people saying that the story is "absolutely perfect," and that DoorToThe, "shouldn't listen to that douche of a beta of his," do they not realize that at least part of the work that they happen to be complimenting is my own? The first chapter was not the first draft; I was sent a copy of the first draft by DoorToThe himself to look it over and edit it. I significantly cleaned up the chapter, and even heavily altered some of the paragraphs, although some of the lines I added got changed for the final product. For all the fuss on writing styles, at least part of my _own_ writing style is present in the finished chapter.

That's all I wanted to say on the topic of that story. In spite of that nasty backlash, I will still continue to support my fellow author's work; to all those who haven't checked it out yet, search for the story in the Persona series/Familiar of Zero crossover section! And, to all those who still have qualms with my remarks or anything else, please try to PM me, so that we may discuss such issues in a polite and orderly manner.

* * *

Moving on, there is also another thing I wanted to talk about, this time pertaining to my story specifically. The issue of Elizabeth being chosen as Louise's familiar, to be precise. At least two people - there are probably more, but only two complained about this in the reviews section - complained about this aspect of my story. It generally makes sense, too; after all, Elizabeth is trying to take out Erebus for good, and free Minato from the Seal, right? Why would she be dicking around as Louise's familiar, then?

It may be annoying, but I will need to answer this question with another question: Did you, the ones who addressed this apparent plot hole, play through or otherwise view Elizabeth's Story in Persona 4: Arena? Let me elaborate.

In P4A, Elizabeth, in her quest to free Minato and kill Erebus, was looking into the power of the Wild Card, thinking that at least part of the answer to her conundrum was there. By the end of her route, she discovers the true strength behind the Wild Card, and as a result, awakens her own true Arcana (The Fool), an Arcana which has previously been one of the things Wild Cards are known to possess, at least in the more recent entries of the Persona series. This heavily implies that Elizabeth has become a Wild Card in her own right.

If she was still looking into and attempting to understand the Wild Card by the time my story began, she would have broken free and teleported away from Halkeginia, without any problems whatsoever. She's Elizabeth, after all; "Such parlor tricks can _get_ _stuffed_!" However, she was already a Fool by the time of my story, since it starts up not even a minute after the ending of her Story in P4A.

As a newly-instated Wild Card, and having directly interacted with at least two other Wild Cards, Attendant's version of Elizabeth knows about the strength of bonds, and needing to develop Social Links in order to increase the effectiveness of the Wild Card. Since making and strengthening bonds with others is a crucial part of being a Wild Card, and, by extension, a crucial part of her quest to free Minato, Attendant!Elizabeth made Social Linking her new objective. However, she didn't know exactly where to _start_, since the residents of the Velvet Room are divorced from most human affairs, and thus rarely interact with people other than the guests who have contracted with the Room.

Knowing that at least one person was calling out to her, Attendant!Elizabeth just went with the flow, and thought that it would be a good opportunity to try Social Linking. As a matter of fact, it worked out in her favor, seeing as contracting with Louise already unlocked the Hierophant Arcana.

I know that there are most likely gaping holes in my logic, and that you may still most definitely prefer people like Yu or Aigis getting summoned, but I would ask that you at least acknowledge that _some_ thought went into my decision to have Elizabeth be the familiar, as well as PM-ing me if you wish to discuss the matter further.

Now then, with all _that _out of the way, on to the preview!

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_Count Mott's Estate, Siesta_

[PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS HAVE BEEN REDACTED]

The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room, its noise seemingly stunning everyone within, even the perpetrator herself. Count Mott especially said nothing, gingerly holding a hand to his cheek, with his head still turned to the side. When he withdrew that hand from his face, turned said face back to its original position, and examined its palm, he found it stained with the deep crimson of his own blood; one of her nails must have accidentally scratched through the surface.

"What is the meaning of this!?," the furious Count yelled, finally breaking the agonizingly long silence. His face had reddened in anger; the blood that was now flowing freely down his cheek only made his visage more frightening to the distressed commoner.

"I-I... I didn't mean to-"

"GUARDS! SEIZE HER!," Mott ordered, immediately cutting off Siesta's futile attempts at explaining herself. She was thankfully closer to the door than Mott's flunkies were to her, so she rushed over to the door, before something caught on the hem of her dress. She tripped and fell, her smooth, tantalizing thighs briefly being exposed by the sudden movement of her dangerously short skirt. Turning around, Siesta noticed that the edge of her uniform had not caught on anything, but was instead pinned by an icicle, her eyes widening in terror.

"Did you think that you, a mere _commoner_, can defy the orders of a high ranking officer of the Palace? Did you think you could get away with leaving A SCAR ON MY _FACE_!?," the furious nobleman exclaimed, his staff still pointed in her direction. "I was going to be gentle, since this is our first night together, but it seems you need to be broken in first. Guards? _Prepare her for me_," he stated in the coldest tone Siesta had heard from him, before the guards slowly made their way towards the trapped maid.

She could feel the guards' wandering eyes, observing her body like it was a piece of meat, their lustful gazes seemingly undressing her before the true act had even begun. Count Mott, in the corner, had let go of his staff and turned around, slowly and carefully removing his top. Siesta knew what was going to happen next. In a few moments, she would be violated by these men, and there was no way out. All because she just couldn't accept her fate and become the Count's new plaything, like a _good_ little commoner...

Was this really it? Would she just lie down and die, under the foot of this cruel, unfair system of oppression? This was a torture beyond anything she could imagine. It wasn't just the fact that she was about to get screwed over, in more ways than one. It was being dealt this hand, not even _two days _after everything Miss Elizabeth had told her! Every wondrous thing that she and Miss Valliere were shown! Every little bedtime story about her Great-Grandfather being vindicated by Miss Valliere's enigmatic new familiar, and her already-infamous battle with Mr. Gramont! And every little hope and dream she carried as a little girl, suddenly being rekindled by the sight of that strange new world! All of that was about to become naught but a commoner's tears, unnoticed and uncared for.

Those little glimpses of happiness, being dangled in front of Siesta before being mercilessly torn away just because she happened to be a young and pretty commoner? That was a pain _far_ worse than what she was about to physically experience. Siesta could truly say, without exaggeration, that she was in Hell right now, and being left to the "tender mercies" of these three was just the gates slamming shut in front of her eyes.

The two guards were so close right now, she could almost _feel_ their haggard breaths as their hands reached toward her chest. She was nearly hyperventilating herself, her eyes misting up from a fresh, warm batch of tears just about to fall. As a final plea, the desperate plebeian prayed for something, _anything_, to save her from this cruel reality. As if a higher power was mocking her, she could think of nothing that could possibly reach her on time, except for one, but that in itself seemed the _least_ possible. She grasped the idea firmly in her mind, nonetheless; she didn't want to give up. Not this time.

"...Per...so...na...," Siesta whispered to herself just before the guard on her left was about to seal her lips with a kiss. A strange sound, akin to the shattering of glass, reverberated throughout the room.

**Author's Note 2: This is from a chapter still in progress. The final version of this scene could be drastically changed from what you have just read now, although the general series of events will most likely stay the same.**


End file.
